Launch of our new vessel shoalbuster Barney

on Friday, 05 December 2014.
op Friday, 05 December 2014
Posted in news

After a long time of engineering and many men hours further, it was finally time to launch: On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014 our newest addition to the fleet shoalbuster Barney was launched in Gdansk Poland.

The launch took place at Safe Engineering in Gdansk where the hull of the Barney was also built by order of Damen Hardinxveld. This shipyard has built already hulls for Damen Hardinxveld including the hull of our multicat Yogi, and they are doing a good job.

Preparations for the launch were already in full swing around 12:00. The sheer leg that would lift Barney into the water was already in position and was busy placing the 4 steel slings, which would lift the Barney.

Around 14:00 it was finally time, after all the checks and preparations, the lifting of Barney commenced. At first, the lifting was done steady and slow with great caution until the Barney was completely free of his seats. Once the hull had sufficient clearance off the ground, the pace went up, and this was clearly not the first time that these men of the lifting pontoon did this kind of job!

Approximately eight minutes after starting hoisting of the Barney, the ships hull hit the water for the first time. At this time all cranes, ships and lifting pontoon sounded their (ship) horn which is a tradition at a launch. All this caused a lot of noise but is very impressive to witness.

Now the remaining works will be done by Safe Engineering, and around 16 December Barney will depart to the Netherlands with as leading tug: our Bommel.